Page 96 of Dare Me

“And I told you it’s not like that,” Patrick countered. “Yes, there are a lot of families, but there are also a lot of single people. Legally I can’t tell you how many or where they live, but I’m telling you, they’re there.”

“I don’t know,” Liam said wearily before looking over at her and Will. “Maybe the two of you should check it out. I bet you’d fit right in.”

Arianna was about to argue how they weren’t even thinking about that sort of thing, but Will spoke up first.

“We actually just started looking at houses,” he said casually. “I think we’re still trying to nail down what style of house we want and what our must-haves are.”

“What kind of amenities did the townhouse have?” she asked.

“You’d really want a townhouse?” Will asked her. “We didn’t look at any in all our searches.

It had become a bit of a nightly thing for the two of them—curling up in bed and either watching TV or looking at real estate.

Well…there were a lot of sexy activities too, but not every night was about sex.

Just…most of them.

“I don’t know,” she said thoughtfully. “I guess I never considered it, but if it had a lot of amenities, it might be something to consider.” Looking over at her brother again, she asked, “So, what are we talking about? A pool? Gym?”

“A pool, a gym, biking trail, fishing pond, a rec room, and one of those multi-purpose rooms you can reserve for big parties,” Patrick told her. “The townhouse is three stories, so there’s lots of room. I think the two of you would like it.”

She glanced at Will and saw he didn’t seem overly impressed and honestly, she really liked the idea of a single-family home for the two of them. It didn’t need to be big—just something to start them out and then, down the road when they maybe got married and had kids, they could upgrade to something bigger.

I can’t believe I’m actually sitting here thinking about getting married and having kids and that everyone in this room would actually be thrilled to hear it!

“We’ll see,” she said with a shrug, taking Will’s hand in hers.

Everyone asked Liam more questions and when Arianna saw her mother stand and walk toward the kitchen, she decided to follow.

“I’ll be right back,” she whispered to Will before standing and kissing him on the cheek.

In the kitchen, she found her mother fluttering around stirring things in pots and wiping down the countertop.

“Hey,” she said softly as she strolled into the room. “Anything I can help with?” Honestly, things had felt a little strained since the big confrontation, and even though she knew her parents were happy for her, she felt like maybe there were still some things that needed to be said.

“Oh, Ari,” her mother said with a small smile. “Thank you, but I think I’ve got it all covered. We should be eating soon.” Turning back toward the stove, she stirred the gravy and then walked over to the refrigerator and pulled out a tossed salad.

“Mom? Can I ask you something?”

Kate froze for a moment in surprise. “Of course. Is everything okay?”

Moving closer so they were both standing at the kitchen island, she sighed. “I need you to teach me to cook.”

Her mother’s eyes went wide with delight. “Really? Finally, you want to learn?” And before Arianna could respond, she was hugging her. “Oh, this is wonderful! You never wanted to learnbefore! You can come by the pub any time and we’ll work on some recipes!”

Yeah, she knew this would be a bonding moment.

“That would be great, but I need for you to keep it quiet. Will thinks I can cook, and…”

“Why does he think that?”

“Because I told him I could, and Ryleigh sort of prepared a couple of meals that I claimed I cooked myself.”

That disapproving look was back. “Arianna…” She made a tsk-ing sound. “Didn’t we just go over how it’s wrong to lie? And here you are lying to the man you love. What if he wants a woman who can cook?”

“I don’t think that’s a deal breaker, Mom. And besides, you’re going to teach me.”

She didn’t look convinced. “He deserves a woman who tells the truth.”

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